Condenser-lap machine.



H. C. PBRHAM.

CONDBNSER LAP MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.19,1908.

1,034,828. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

6 \/I\/|TNESSES 15:12 NVENTOR CQ j@ Q we@ MM,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

HAVEN COOK PERHAM, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KITSON MACHINESHOP, 0F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CONDENSER-LAP MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 19, 1908.

Patented A110'. 6, 1912.

sei-iai No. 449,349.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAVEN Coon PER- HAM, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Condenser-Lap Machines, of which the followingdescription, with the accompanying drawings, is a specication.

Like letters on the drawings denote like parts.

This invention is an improvement in condenser-lap machines andparticularly in means for preventing the splitting of laps as theyunroll upon the aprons of succeeding machines, such as othercondenser-lap machines and cardingengines.

It relates to improvements in means for advancing and compacting thebrous material in combination with fiber-rearranging means wherebycertain fibers are intermiXed and interwoven with other fibers beforethe lap is rolled and the splitting of the lap thereafter prevented. Itsobjects are: first, to provide a more efficient form for theforward-terminal portion of the fiber-rearranging means; second, toarrange the said portion and, especially, its fiber-rearranging elementsin more efficient relation to the fiber advancing-and-compactingsurfaces with which they co-act; third, to improve the means for theattachment of the fiber-rearranging means; and, fourth, to provideattachments for condenser-lap machines such as can be manufactured andsold independently of the said machines and applied thereto in a millthat is far from any well-equipped machine shop and which comprisefiber-rearranging means. These objects are attained by the mechanismthat is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a portion of acondenser-lap machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the draw-plate andteeth. Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of the draw-plate and teeth. Figs.4 and 5 are cross-sections on lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, 0f Fig.2. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modification and Fig. 7 is across-section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are correspondingviews of another modification. Figs. 10 and 11 are corresponding viewsof still another modification. Fig. 1Q is a longitudinal-section throughthe groove 13 of the draw-plate, with the tooth 10 not yet sprung intothe position of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic representationof a modification.

In Fig. 1, 1 represents the forward end of a trougl1-bottom that `ismore specically called a screen or a grid It is the bottom of the troughor trunk, through which the lap-forming-materials pass to t-hecondenser-cages 2 2. The trunk-cover is represented by 3. The arrow inthe trunk indicates the general direction of the motion of suchmaterials. The typical shape of the surface of the previously depositedmass of such materials is represented in cross-section, by the line 4 44, although the actual shape of such crosssection varies considerablyfrom time to time. lVithin the trunk and approaching the surfacerepresented by 4 4 4 are shown flying tufts or fragments of suchmaterials. Ordinarily, the parts of such tufts adhere together betterthan such whole tufts or fragments adhere to one another. As suchmaterials pass the draw-rolls 5 5 over the draw-plate 6 they are calleda sheet. The sheet is compacted by the calender-rolls 7 7 7 7, andfinally is wound by the winding- (lrums S 8 into a lap 9.

The surface represented by 4 4 4 is one of comparatively easy splitting.In the sheet, it becomes substantially V-shaped with its angle inadvance and near the center of the sheet and with its other extremitiesin the surfaces of the sheet. In the lap, the outer surface splits moreeasily than the inner one. Laps that contain much waste composed oftufts of straight parallel fibers, split very easily between or throughsuch tufts and easily fall apart. By my invention, I disarrange suchparallelism and confusedly intermix and interweave fibers of differenttufts by dragging forward some fibers or parts of fibers and bydetaining others or parts of others. I prefer that such rearrangement ofthe fibers shall occur throughout the thickness of the lap, that itshall be most effective in a series of narrow and parallel strips of thesheet, and, especially so, in the outside surface of the rolled lap. lmake this rearrangement more permanent by severely compacting thematerials immediately after the rearrangement and before the stressesthat have been produced during the rearrangement within the elasticm'ass of the materials have had opportunity to return the rearrangedfibers to their original positions to any important eX- tent.

In-my improvements 1 utilize any usual co actingfiber-advancing-and-compacting surfaces preferably the surfaces of theupper pair of calender-rolls. I particularly utilize the parts of suchsurfaces where they bite the materials and another part of the surfaceof one of them; preferably the lower surface of the upper calender-roll.Preferably; 1- oppose to the. said lower surface a seri-es of teeth orprojections situated but a short distance apart in a line parallel tothe axes of the calender-rolls and extending entirely across themachine. Preferably: the form of the forward-terminal portion of eachsuch tooth is that of a straight' piece of round spring-steel wire,having a diameter that is small as compared with the distance betweenthe centers of the teeth; the tooth is directed toward the lower surfaceof the upper calender-roll'at a large acute angle therewith; the widthof the entire tooth and therefore of its back is narrow as compared withthe width of the space between the centers of the teeth; the end of atooth is flat and at right-angles with the aXis of theforward-terminalipart of the tooth; the juncture of the endwith thesides and back ofthe tooth is sharp, except that the sharp edge is veryslightly touched with fine emery cloth in a lathe for the purpose ofremoving` only the bur left by the cutting tool; when the sheetisbetween the end'of the tooth andthe said lower surface, the end of thetooth is in close proximity to the said lower surface and-is nea'r tothe fibers that are in the bite of thek saidpair of calenderrolls; and,there is a space between the ends ofthe teeth' and the bite of therolls. It follows from this construction-:that a series of parallell andnarrow strips of the sheet are gradually condensed as they pass alongthe forward-terminal portions of the teeth and the lower surface of theroll; that between the lower surface of the advancing rollandthe end'ofeachvstationary tooth the sheet is severelyv compressed; that the actionof the rolls at their. bite tends to drag the whole sheet forward; thatthe frictional contact ofthe lower surface of the advancing roll withthe upper surface of the sheet, opposite to the ends of the teeth, tendsto drag the sheet forward; thatv the frictional contact-'of the ends ofthe stationary teeth with portions of the lowerl surface of the sheettends to detain the sheet; that portions of the sheet; portions ofthetufts of which it is composed, and portions of its fibers will be moreor less dragged forwarder detained and the fibers of the sheetrearranged; and, that the nearness of the ends of the teeth to theiibers that are held in the bite'of the rolls tends to prevent thedetaining teeth from tearing holes in the sheet. As the sheet passes outfrom between the teeth and the roll and before it passes into the biteof the rolls, itv expands considerably. rlhis expansion aids in therearrangement of the fibers. T he compression of the materials in thebite of the rolls tends to make the rearrangement permanent. l prefer tomalte the end-surface of a tooth small in area and the back of a toothnarrow relatively to the width of the sheet between teeth, because theforce required to press such teeth against the co-acting surface is lessthan if the end-surfaces had a larger area and the backs were wider, andbecause such teeth sufliciently rearrange the fibers." Experience hasshown that; in order to satisfactorily eect the desired rearrangement ofthe fibers, the pressure with which the sheet is squeezed' between twobodies, one of which advances relatively to the other, must be severe,and that satisfactory results can be had if-the severe pressure isdistinctly localized so as to affect only a very small proportion of thearea of the sheet at a time. As the sheet squeezes into the bite betweenthe-roll and the end of av tooth it can be subjected to a severepressure only when the tooth is designed to severely resist theexpansion of the sheet in the bite. To adapt the teethto perform thisfunction, it has been constructed as a straight strut from its end nearthe bite to the point where it leaves its support; it has been given adirection nearly radial to the surface of the roll; andthe severity ofthe pressure of the tooth upon the sheet has beendistinct-ly localizedand intensified by giving its end a small area relatively to that of thesheet and such a shape that a point of its end comes nearer' to thelower surface of the roll than any otherv point of the tooth. Thisparticular pointI co-acts with the roll to bite the sheet with greaterseverity than any otheu p'oint'ofKA the tooth andis themost efficientpoint of the tooth for' the purpose of rearranging the bers. Inorderthat the advancing sheet' may not be torn but directed into the bite andin order that their ends may bel near to the fibers that are held in thebite of' the calender-rolls, the teeth are not precisely radial tothesurface ofthe rollat the bite. In my invention, the teeth are sopresented, opposed, and arranged relativelyl to the lower surface of theroll that' the parts of the sheet which touch and slide upon theireXtreme forward-terminal portions pass: first; upward-and-forward;second, across the ends of the teeth; and'tliird, dwnward-and-backwardas the sheet" expands. Thus, these parts of the sheet change theirdirection through about 180 in passing the ends of the teeth. The largerthe angle through which the sheet changes its direction as it slidesupon the extreme forward-terminal portions of the teeth, the moreefliciently the teeth act as detainers of parts of the sheet.

I prefer that the teeth shall project from the draw-plate G, althoughthey may project from the screen 1, or, other support. The teethfastened to their support may constitute an attachment to bemanufactured and sold separately from the machine. Preferably, I fasteneach tooth to the forward end of the draw-plate separately from andindependently of any other tooth. Each separate tooth .may constitute anattachment to be made and sold separately from the machine and from thedraw-plate or other suport.

p In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 41:, and 12 there is represented a form of tooth 10and of lockingdevice 13 which I prefer to use in new condenser-lapmachines which are intended t0 operate upon a quite heterogeneous massof lap-formingwmaterials such, for instance, as a mixture of varietiesof cotton with much waste. The trouglrbottoms, whether they are screensor draw-plates, for such new machines can readily be cast withlocking-devices, consisting of depressions or grooves, in the uppersurfaces thereof, such as are shown at 13 in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 1, (3, 7, 8,9. and 12, or, if preferred, such depressions or grooves can be made bymachinery. I prefer to have such depressions or grooves cast in thedraw-plates rather than in the screens. Each of the small holes 12 inthe drawplate should be of such size that the wire 10 will fit closelytherein; all of the holes 12 should preferably be situated in onestraight line parallel to the centerlines of the calender-rolls 7 7 7 7;and the entire series of such holes should preferably extend entirelyacross the machine at regular intervals. The lower part of the toothpreferably has the shape which is represented in Fig. 12 when it is inan unsprung condition. It will be seen from Figs. 2, 3, 4l, 5, and 12:that the tooth fits fairly well in the hole 12 of the draw-plate 6; thatthe tooth rests in the depression 13 at a point that is radially quitedistant from the hole 12; but that the tooth does not elsewhere, as inthe enlarged groove 14, bear upon the draw-plate. The tightening of thenut 16 will spring the tooth 10 into the position that is shown in Figs.1, 2, 3, ll, and 5, and such springing will effectually lock the toothin the depression 13 and the hole 12. The springing of the tooth, as hasbeen hereinabove described, is not essential to` my invention but it isin some eases preferred by me as has been lbeen heretofore stated.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent a modification, in which the depression in thetop of the drawplate does not extend to the hole 12.

Figs. 8 and 9 represent a modification, in which the depression in thetop of the draw-plate is found only in a projection from the topthereof.

Figs. 10 and 11 represent a modification, in which there is nodepression in theA top of the draw-plate but in which the tooth will belocked at the point 13 of the cross-section 11 11 against change ofdirection with respect to the draw-plate, provided that t-he tooth 10 issprung suthciently hard against it by the tightening of the nut 1G. Iconsider that this is a comparatively inefficient form of my inventionbut that it is within the scope thereof.

This invention embodies means for securing a fiber-1earranging toothdirectly to a trough-bottom, without the intervention of anything like awasher between the tooth and the upper surface of the trough-bottom,

separately from and independently of any other tooth. The termtrough-bottom is generic and includes as specific varieties thedraw-plate, the screen, and the grid. Preferably, but not necessarily,the tooth is of cylindrical spring-wire. Preferably, but notnecessarily, the means for securing the tooth to the trough-bottomcomprises a threaded means. Preferably, the part of the tooth that isfarthest removed from the lib-e1'1'earranging end and hereinafter calledthe first part is threaded to eoperate with a threaded-nut and is ofdimensions to fill well in a hole in the trouglrbottom, such as the hole12 in the draw-plate. The part of the tooth that is adjacent to thefirst part and is hereinafter called the second partcomprising a portionthat makes an angle with the first part to prevent the second part frombeing drawn through the hole by the securing-means. Preferably, thespring-wire is bent at thcjuncture of the first and the second parts, sothat those parts make an angle with one another of a little less than900. Preferably, the extremity of the second part that is farthestremoved from the first part is shaped to adapt it to enter a groove inthe trough-bottom that is radial. to the hole for the first part and ispreferably of V-shaped cross-section. The first part of the tooth can hepassed through the hole in the troughbottom, the said extremity of thesecond part can be placed in the said groove, the threadednut can betightened upon the threaded part of the tooth and the tooth drawn intoposition, as is represented in Figs. 2, 3, it, and 5, where it will befirmly held with the tooth locked from rotation about the hole in thetrough-bottom by the depression or groove. The preferred tooth has apart, adjacent to the second part, and hereinafter called the thirdpart, which makes such an angle with the second part that, when thetooth has been firmly secured to a draw-plate and t-he draw-platefastened in position in a condenser-lap machine, t-he third part of thetooth will be straight, and upwardly-and-forwardly inclined, anddirected toward the under side of t-he upper calender-roll at a largeacute angle therewith, its forward terminal-portion will lie in the pathof the advancing fibers, and it-s forward-end will have thefiber-rearranging edge and apex and the location that has beenhereinbefore described. Commercially, the threaded-nut is sold with thetooth, and the tooth and the nut taken together are called simply, atooth For the purposes of this application, I call the threaded-nut apart of the tooth.

I prefer to attach the tooth to the drawplate: partly, because thecalender-roll, which is opposed to the tooth in its action upon thecotton that passes between them, is a. solid and substantial roll and iswell adapted to oppose the forceful pressure of the tooth; partly,because the front end of the draw-plate approaches near to the bite ofthe calender-rolls and for this reason effect-ive teeth can be madequite short; partly, because the front terminal or point of the toothcan be brought very near to the bite of the calender-rolls and thefibers that are displaced by the toot-h can almost immediately afterwardbe so bent that they will better retain their new positions; and, partlybecause the trough of which the draw-plate is the bottom is open andconveniently placed and therefore the teeth can be easily reached.v

Good results can be had however, from teeth that are attached to theforward end of the screen as is represented upon a reduced scale in Fig.13, especially if narrow, spring-teeth are used with their extreme endsupwardlyand-fo-rwardly-inclined, as is represented in Fig. 13 and wherethe spring-teeth are so shaped that when they are not in contactl with amass of cotton, they recede farther from the surface of the lowercondensercage as the distance from their points of support increases.Each such tooth as I have herein described and represented in thedrawings is perfectly adapted to be attached to its support directly andseparately from any other tooth, whether that support be an independentplate having the supporting of such tooth as its only function, or, thetrough-bottom. of a condenser-lap machine and whether that trough-bottombe a drawplate or a screen. Such teeth as I have herein described arenew articles of manufacture. 'Ihey can be manufactured very easily andinexpensively. They can for a trivial sum be furnished to users ofcondenser-lap machines who are at a considerable distance from anywell-equipped machine shop and they can be attached to such lunrollingin an intermediate or a finisher lapper or in a carding-engine, thesplit-oft' portion adheres to the outer surface of the next inner coilof the lap. rIhe operative must, as soon as possible and as far as hecan, rectify this t,defect in the unwinding. Otherwise,` the splittingand the adhesion may continue, while the splitting lap makes severalrotations about its own aXis. The split may tear through the sheet. Itmay tear across the width of the sheet. By my invention the operative isrelieved from the necessity of closely watching the unrolling laps, fromthe work of rectifying as far as he can the defects due to splitting,and from throwing parts of the split laps into the waste to be Workedover, and the waste is prevented. In other words, the cost of productionis diminished by the use of my invention. The transference of asplit-off portion of t-he lap from the part of the sheet where itbelongs to a different part of the sheet tends to non-uniformity in theweight per unit of length of the product from the machine. In the usualintermediate and in the usual finisher lapper an evener is provided andthe evener tends to correct such non-uniformity, but it will notperfectly correct it. In the usual ca-rding-engine there is no evenermechanism and the resulting non-uniformity of the product is moreserious. When my invention is used the laps do f not split andnon-uniformity consequent upon lap-splitting does not occur.

I claim:

1. In a condenser-lap machine, in combination: a support having holestherethrough located in a line parallel and near to co-actingfiber-advancing-and-compacting surfaces; fiber-rearranging teeth, anysuch tooth closely fitted and locked in one such hole and forcedagainstthe upper surface of the support at a place distant from the holein the direction of advance of the fibers; and, means for fastening suchteeth in such holes in direct and forceful contact with the uppersurface of the support at the said places and with theirfiber-rearranging parts located in the path of the fibers.

2. In a condenser-lap machine, in combination: a draw-plate having holestherethrough located in a line parallel and near to a pair ofcalender-rolls, and having grooves therein radiating from the holes andtoward the rolls; fiber-rearranging teeth locked, any such tooth intoone such hole and one such groove; and means for fastening such teeth insuch holes and grooves With such teeth in direct contact With the uppersurface of the draw-plate and having their fiber-rearranging partslocated in the path of the fibers.

3. In a condenser-lap machine, in combination: a'support havino' holestherethrough located in a line parallel and near to coactingfiber-advancing-and-compacting surfaces; springwvire7 fiber-rearranginoteeth, any such tooth having three integra arts: a first and threadedpart closely fitted 1n and passing through one such hole; a second partadjacent to the first, making an angle therewith and forced against theupper surface of the support at a place distant from the hole in thedirection of advance of the fibers; and, a third and fiber-rearrangingpart, adjacent to the second part and located in the path of the fibers;and, threaded-nuts, one for fastening any such tooth in one such holeand for forcing the tooth against the support at the place stated.

4. In a condenser-lap machine, in combination: a draw-plate having holestherethrough located in a line parallel and near to a pair ofcalender-rolls and having grooves therein at places distant from theholes in the direction of advance of the fibers; spring-Wire,fiber-rearranging teeth, any such tooth having three integral parts: afirst and threaded part fitted in and passing through one such hole; asecond part adjacent to the first, making an angle therewith and forcedinto one such groove; and, a third and fiber-rearranging part, adjacentto the second part and located in the path of the fibers; and,threaded-nuts, one for fastening any such tooth in one such hole and forforcing the tooth into the groove.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

HAVEN COOK PERHAM.

Vitnesses:

CHANNING WHITAKER, IRVING D. KIMBALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingIthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C.

